... by party-circuit celebs like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears -- is selling a 50 percent interest to Iconix, a New York-based company that owns a slew of clothing labels including Joe Boxer, Rocawear and Badgley Mischka, The Post has learned....

Trade in goggles for blinders - Tulsa World

During a recent run, FGP told Coco and me about this awesome Badgley Mischka dress she found on sale. It was a ridiculously tiny size, like negative-10 or something. But FGP thought she could get away with it — until a semi-tactfully honest sales...

Beholder: the allure of couture - Times Online

Still, I can't help but feel seduced when the likes of Badgley Mischka — the New York designers known for their couture, evening and bridal dresses — wax lyrical about the specialness of their new fragrance, created to mark their 20th anniversary....

Dive into summer - Irish Independent

Familiar names like Seafolly, Freya, Jets and Gottex can help you disguise problem zones and new labels on offer this season include Badgley Mischka, Melissa Odabash, Margherita Mazzei, Cia Maritima and Letarte. There are all sorts of little design...

Ben de Lisi Shutters Line, What Desirée Wore - New York Magazine

Halston and Badgley Mischka, respectively. The White House revealed this info on Tuesday, for all you conspiracy types. [WWD] • Collaboration station! Takashi Murakami and Pharrell Williams are teaming up, not with Louis Vuitton as we would expect,...

Jean Paul Gaultier took the helm at Hermes - Vogue.com

... Rosario Dawson and Shu Qi wore designs from the Italian fashion house to the annual festival on the French Riviera... ...2004, Barbie, the world's most stylish doll, had a floor-sweeping wedding dress created for her by design duo Badgley Mischka....

Yellow a cure for economic blues - WA today

In the spring fashion collections previewed earlier in the northern autumn for retailers and editors, pops of yellow brightened the runways of designers Carolina Herrera — who called her favourite shade marigold — Badgley Mischka, Zac Posen and Michael...

A patent leather Badgley Mischka purse, originally $395, was $255. On the lower end, a white cotton Diane Von Furstenberg shirt, originally $198, was marked $69. Additional 10 to 30 percent discounts were available on some items....

Snapper's Delight - Women's Wear Daily

During cocktails at Pier 60, Mark Badgley and James Mischka paid their respects to Annie Leibovitz, who was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award and who shot their 20th anniversary spring campaign, while Amanda Brooks perused the work on display....

Badgley Mischka

Badgley Mischka is an American fashion label designed by Mark Badgley and James Mischka. Badgley & Mischka met at Parsons and found a common vision. The two launched the label Badgley Mischka in 1988, though their bridal business launched in 1993. Badgley and Mischka are partners in life and business. Their clothes have been worn by many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Melissa Etheridge, and Tammy Lynn Michaels.

Badgley Mischka's looks are described as "red-carpet-destined evening wear" but generally produced with lighter fabrics and less construction. They are also known for fragrance, handbags, shoes and eyewear.

In September 2006, Badgley Mischka announced that Sharon Stone would replace Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as spokesperson. In August 2007, it was announced that Teri Hatcher will be in the Fall 2007 campaign.

Badgley Mischka is also responsible for designing the second wedding dress worn by Kristin Davis as Charlotte York on Sex and the City.

The Badgley Mischka line is available at Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman and two boutiques in West Hollywood and Boston.

America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10

America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10 was the tenth cycle of America's Next Top Model and the fourth season to be aired on The CW network. The promotional catchphrase of the cycle is "New Faces, New Attitude, New York". The promotional song was Feedback by Janet Jackson.

The international destination for this cycle is Rome, Italy, marking the first time the show has visited a previous cycle's international destination country. The winner, similar to the past three cycles, won management and representation by Elite Model Management, a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, a billboard in Times Square with her CoverGirl ad, and a cover and six-page spread within Seventeen magazine.

A few major changes were made this season. The show was moved back to New York, after being housed in Los Angeles since Cycle 4. The number of contestants was also increased to 14, after being maintained at 13 since Cycle 5. Finally, the judging panel, unchanged since Cycle 5, was also altered; Twiggy was replaced by Czech supermodel Paulina Porizkova due to the former's scheduling conflicts.

35 girls arrived at "Top Model Prep" where they met Mr. Jay Manuel and Miss J. Alexander. They shot a class photo before commencing runway lessons with Miss J., where Lauren was seen as the weakest walker. Next, the girls attended a bonfire where the "Homecoming Queen" was going to be announced. The cheerleaders by the stage were revealed to be a few contestants from past cycles. Mr. Jay then announced that the finalists would be taken to New York City. The homecoming queen turned out to be Tyra, who surprised the girls, coming from behind the curtains. Casting interviews then commenced.

In between interviews, a fight broke out between Shaya (revealed to be a niece of Muhammad Ali) and Fatima, but they later forgave each other when Fatima revealed that she was a survivor of female circumcision, but returning applicant Marvita (failed to join Cycle 9) gave somewhat offending comments about her revelation. Memorable auditions included Stacy Ann's lap dance, Fatima telling the judges about her genital mutilation, and Claire's confession about drinking her own breast milk so her baby could breastfeed when she returned home. After the interviews, the girls were pared down to the final 20, where they participated in a senior class photo shoot and had to do their own hair and make up.

Later in the day, Tyra revealed the final 13. When she called "Aimee/Amy", both advanced, and Amy offered to change her name to avoid confusion. When the thirteenth girl was chosen, Tyra mentioned that so many girls had potential, but chose Dominique as the fourteenth and last finalist.

The girls were taken to their loft in New York City featuring a humanitarian theme. Amy decided to change her name to "Amis". To Amis, Fatima and Kimberly's frustration, there was a "no smoking" sign which led them to smoke outside of the loft. Mr. and Miss J. arrived and rounded up the girls for a city tour. The final stop was a Badgley Mischka runway show.

After the show, Fatima unintentionally hit Marvita in the face with her hand, brewing tension. The girls were then taken to Elite Model Management building and they met Paulina Porizkova and Neal Hamil, and Paulina gave each girl brutal and harsh criticism.

At the photo shoot, the girls had to portray homeless women being surrounded by high fashion models (where one of the background models was eventual Cycle 11 contestant, Isis). Most of the girls received positive feedback, but Amis' over-enthusiasm and Kimberly's dead expressions were criticized. Later, Kimberly admitted to Fatima that high fashion was not her interest.

At judging, Paulina Porizkova was revealed to be the new panel judge, replacing Twiggy. When Kimberly was called for evaluation, she stated her lack of desire for the fashion industry, and proceeded to quit the competition, despite having a stellar photo. She was the third contestant to voluntarily leave the show, after Cycle 5's Cassandra Whitehead and Cycle 9's Ebony Morgan. Months later on the Tyra Banks Show, Kimberly revealed the true reason she quit the contest; she suffered a mental breakdown due to her ex-boyfriend's suicide happening three months prior to the competition, which in turn, revived her experiences of her mother's suicide as a child.

Despite the shock of the sudden exit, Tyra announced that there would still be an elimination. While Anya, Whitney, Claire, Aimee, and Lauren shone, the rest of the girls did quite well except Dominique, Allison, Amis and Atalya. Atalya and Amis were revealed to be the bottom two, with Atalya lacking a high fashion appeal and Amis looking lost in her photo. However, the judges saw Amis as "edgy", and she stayed in the competition while Atalya was sent home.

The girls received Apple Bottoms apparel that came in white purses. Allison was offended when Fatima told her that she had a larger body than hers, and Allison revealed her past struggles with anorexia. The girls were taken to Wal-Mart for a CoverGirl make up challenge, which Claire won. Back at the house, Allison used dolls to represent the earlier incident between herself and Fatima. Playing with a African-American doll, Allison re-enacted the incident offensively with somewhat racist remarks. Fatima took this badly, and fired back that it's not her problem that she had an eating disorder and needed to take responsibility for her own anorexic issues.

Later, the girls received their makeovers. To mimic a true agency, Tyra didn't tell the girls their makeovers. Fatima's new weave came with a lot of pain, but she ended up loving it. There was general satisfaction among the other girls as well, except for Stacy Ann, who wished for Naomi Campbell's long hair.

The photo shoot took place on a yacht with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. They met Elle Macpherson and modelled her line of lingerie called "Intimates".

At judging, Lauren shone for her awkwardness that translated into high fashion, while Marvita and Aimee were equally praised. Amis and Katarzyna, however, struggled tremendously in the photoshoot. Dominique and Allison landed in the bottom two; Dominique for her soccer mom look; Allison for not knowing the word "thank you" with her arrogant personality and both ultimately for their lackluster photos. Tyra then called Dominique's name, informing her that she would be given at least one more week in the competition along with a change in hair color and Allison was eliminated.

The girls were taken to the New York City Fire Department where they met Miss J. for a runway teach. They had 90 seconds to change into proper outfits, but Fatima failed to change shoes. The mock runway was performed in front of the firefighters.

Tension brewed in the house when Aimee called a shower all to herself, being uncomfortable nude in front of the others. When Whitney defended Aimee's conservative views, Fatima and Marvita vented their frustrations on Whitney.

The girls were then taken to a runway show where they had to walk for fashion label "Tuleh", and they met Cycle 8 winner Jaslene Gonzalez, who critiqued them after the show. Fatima and Whitney's wardrobe malfunctions didn't go unnoticed, but Lauren's speedy walk was heavily criticized. Katarzyna won the challenge, and picked Amis and Marvita to join in her prize - a Lot 29 photo shoot in Seventeen magazine with Jaslene.

For the week's photo shoot, the girls were taken to the Meat Packing District, posing with and wearing meat. Aimee, Amis and Fatima all struggled in the strange environment.

Twenty minutes before panel, Amis was still sleeping, and she only had time to don a headband and sweater. Unsurprisingly, she was criticized for not dressing like a model. While Anya and Whitney shone, Tyra told Lauren that she would have been called first if not for her bad walk.

The bottom two were revealed as Amis, for her lack of focus, and Fatima, for her poor facial expressions and lack of variety in modeling waist up. Amis was eliminated with her desire to win being questioned.

The girls met posing instructor Benny Ninja, who teamed up with supermodel Vendela Kirsebom to teach the girls the different poses for catalogue, commercial and couture shoots in an abandoned warehouse. Back at the house, Whitney created a phone list which is a schedule that assigns each girl a limited amount of time to call home. When Dominique missed her phone time, she caused a row with Whitney, escalating to the point where Dominique accused Whitney of being a racist, of which the latter angrily denied.

For their challenge, Benny and Vendela tested their knowledge of the three types of poses by pitting them against each other in a posing challenge. Team B, consisting of Claire, Katarzyna, Marvita, Stacy Ann and Whitney, ultimately won a trip to a swag tent. Claire was deemed the best overall and won an additional prize - a trip to Bora Bora.

The week's photo shoot required the girls to do an extreme beauty shot with paint as their main makeup. Most girls delivered once again but Fatima, Marvita and Whitney all struggled with their shoots.

At panel, most of the girls are praised for strong shots, especially Stacy Ann's, but Marvita and Whitney's pictures were deemed unsatisfactory. The judges thought Fatima's picture was beautiful but she was heavily criticized for not shaving her armpits, which showed in her picture.

In the end, Whitney and Marvita landed in the bottom two, both for their bad photos and questionable passion for the competition. Marvita was eliminated because the judges felt that Whitney had more desire.

This episode started with Dominique's alarm clock going off sporadically throughout the night, irritating her roommates. Tension mounted when Lauren, Claire, and Whitney accused Dominique of being a negative person, and ganged up on her bringing her to tears. But her mom convinced her that she was better than them and Dominique believed her and tried to ignore them.

Tyra taught the girls how to pose at the end of the runway and how to pose while looking pained. She then declared a pose-off, in which Anya impressed Tyra the most. The teach was actually a secret challenge, and Anya won a chance to shoot timeless nude photographs taken by Nigel Barker.

Whitney was commended for her photo, while Fatima was for once given approval for her range of poses. Stacy Ann on the other hand was criticized for her photo. Katarzyna produced her best photograph to date while sporting a wig, which inspired Tyra to give her a haircut.

In the end, it was Aimee and Claire who landed in the bottom two. Despite both the girls having two of the easiest genres, each one produced a bad photo, with Aimee's being deemed lackluster and Claire's too harsh for a country theme. In the end, Claire was spared, and Aimee was sent home, despite having delivered previous great shoots.

Tension brewed when Fatima accused Lauren of dumping away her unfinished coffee. While Fatima remained calm, Lauren started swearing at Fatima.

The girls arrived at the Elite building for their go-sees challenge, and were split into two groups of four. The models walked for three designers, where they all received rather positive reviews but the designers criticized Lauren's walk. There was concern that Whitney and Dominique's dislike of each other would impede their team's progress, but their team nevertheless won the challenge, with Stacy Ann receiving the most bookings on the winning team. The entire team won a shoot for the June issue of Seventeen magazine.

At the photo shoot, the girls had to pose over a mylar sheet in water from the off-Broadway show Fuerzabruta. Claire hurt her neck after falling straight down on the sheet, causing her to struggle with her shoot. Despite the advantage of her awkward look in her past photos, Lauren received a negative critique from Jay during the photo shoot. Katarzyna also received her new haircut, which she took great delight in despite tearing up a bit at first.

At panel, Fatima, Anya, Katarzyna and Whitney received universal praise. Stacy Ann was congratulated for her challenge win but her film was criticized. Lauren's awkward personality, weak presence in the judging room, and mediocre photo landed her in the bottom two together with Claire, who was criticized for her lack of versatility and "one note look." Despite a stellar portfolio, Claire was sent packing.

This was the cycle's recap episode. It reviewed the first seven episodes and showed some never-before-seen footage, including Stacy Ann singing to the judges during casting, Claire's breastmilk-pumping antics, Marvita parading around the house naked as well as annoying the other girls by playing badly on a guitar, the New York firefighters' mock runway show, Anya photographing the other girls, a playful wrestling fight between some girls and a fun night out at "Libation", a New York pub, where Stacy Ann took a bottle of "complimentary" vodka back home.

The girls learned about interview skills from Paulina Porizkova. Lauren cut the tip of her thumb while chopping onions and needed stitches.

This week's challenge required the girls to work a "green" carpet at a 7 Up party and handle themselves well at the party. Anya was praised for her ability to connect with others, and won another nude photo shoot for 7 Up and $10,000 as payment. Back at the house, Stacy Ann confessed that she is jealous of Anya for winning the challenge.

Tyra Mail hinted to the girls that they were going abroad, and the girls packed their belongings. They were taken to an airplane-themed photo shoot where Jay told them that they would be portraying a group of jet-setters boarding the airplane, using their suitcases as props. Fatima ran into trouble regarding her travel documentation (since she was not a United States citizen , but a permanent citizen holding a Green Card) and missed the photo shoot because of an appointment the show's producers had made to fix the issue at an unidentified consulate. It was unclear whether this was the Italian consulate or the Consular Mission of another African nation, since Somalia did not have a government recognized by United States at that time.

After the shoot, the girls were told that judging would take place immediately - at the tarmac airplane hangar - and it was revealed that after judging, they would be jet-setting to their abroad location, though Tyra did not reveal where this was. Most of the girls were praised, especially Dominique for being perky in her photo despite her almost-masculine look (with Tyra remembering Cycle 6's Joanie Dodds' energy in her Krumping Photo Shoot). Whitney was criticized for being too "pageant", though Mr. Jay gave her credit for working hard on set. Stacy Ann was lambasted for not knowing her angles.

In the end, Fatima landed in the bottom two with Stacy Ann. Fatima was called out for missing the photoshoot, and Stacy Ann for her overall potential. Fatima was ultimately saved by her better and improving portfolio. This made Fatima the second girl in ANTM history to miss a photo shoot and not get eliminated, after Shannon Stewart of Cycle 1. Fatima was also the first girl ever in ANTM history to miss a photo shoot and was kept over someone who had taken a shoot.

After elimination, Tyra announced that the remaining six girls would go to Rome, Italy for the rest of the competition.

The girls arrived in Rome, where they toured the city before going to their new home. Not long after, Fatima came down with a fever and Anya helped her by bringing her dinner while Dominique gossiped about her.

Claudio Brassini gave the girls a fashion tour on Segways. Then they went to their challenge, where Gai Mattiolo judged their walks and how they look in his clothing. Anya won the challenge and her prize was a long, white, red carpet dress, designed by Gai Mattiolo.

The girls filmed a CoverGirl commercial in Italian. Fatima, Katarzyna and Whitney were the only ones able to get their lines out fully. Jay called out Whitney for acting too fake, Katarzyna for being too flat, while naming Fatima the best of the day. Anya's lines were unintelligible, Dominique overacted and didn't get many words right, while Lauren who was distracted by the pain in left finger gave up.

At judging, only Tyra liked Whitney's commercial; the other judges thought it was too pretentious. Katarzyna was given credit for showing more personality, Anya and Dominique's commercials were laughing stocks, but Anya's flirtatiousness and Dominque's energy were both praised. Lauren was scolded for showing no desire.

Lauren and Whitney landed in the bottom two, Whitney for her fake performance during the commercial, and Lauren for her lack of confidence and tenacity. Tyra eventually handed the last screen capture to Whitney, telling her to "get real" and Lauren was sent home.

The girls were brought to a gladiator fighting school, where fighting instructor, Alex Mariotti, taught them the basics of gladiator fighting. After donning gladiator costumes, Mr. Jay and Miss J. explained that the teach was supposed to help them bring out more versatility and power in their photos, before revealing the photo challenge, using the moves that they have just learned but still keep grace and composure. Whitney won the challenge and was given a €1000 shopping spree, and chose Anya to accompany her.

The girls were taken to a Roman castle for their photo shoot dressed in modern Renaissance fashion, where Tyra shot them. All of the girls but Katarzyna and Whitney received praise. At panel, Dominique was heralded for producing a gorgeous shot, but was criticized for dressing too "game-showish". Anya's photograph received universal praise, though the judges voiced concern over her generic personality. Katarzyna was criticized for having dead eyes in her photograph and for her seemingly flat personality, while Whitney was criticized for her "cramped" poses.

Katarzyna and Whitney landed in the bottom two. Whitney for her inability to live up to her full modeling potential, despite previous strong photos, and Katarzyna because the judges felt that she was rather coasting than really making an impression. Katarzyna was eliminated in her first bottom two appearance.

In order to better understand their role in front of the camera, the girls were given a lesson in photography. This was followed by a challenge in which they directed and shot Paulina Porizkova, as Seventeen editor Ann Shoket looked on. Dominique's lack of focus and Anya's over-enthusiasm were critiqued, while Fatima and Whitney's professionalism were praised. Fatima was chosen as the winner, with a reward of 50 extra frames at the upcoming photo shoot.

At the photo shoot with Nigel Barker as the photographer, the girls portrayed Italian movie stars being pursued by the paparazzi. Mr. Jay and Nigel experienced difficulty getting the girls into character, leaving all feeling vulnerable. At panel, Anya was commended for a stunning photo, though it was noted that it was essentially an accident and that she required continual coaching from Jay. Whitney was told by Paulina that she at last produced a photo that did her beauty justice. Dominique was once again criticized for her dress and appearance in person, and for looking too "drag" in her photo. The judges expressed disappointment in Fatima as she didn't listen, therefore she did not capture the correct theme, even with 50 extra frames.

Dominique and Fatima landed in the bottom two, both for their bad pictures. Ultimately, the judges viewed Fatima as having more potential and Dominique was eliminated.

The remaining three girls were put to the test when they had to shoot a commercial and a photo shoot for CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara. It was revealed that the winner of the cycle would have her ad on a billboard in Times Square. During the commercial, all of the girls struggled with their lines, but still managed to look like real CoverGirls.

During judging, the judges commented that Whitney's commercial was average but deemed her photo stellar, while they were not impressed by Fatima's robotic performance in her commercial. Anya's commercial was described as a "train wreck", but that was overlooked by her personality on film and her stellar look in the commercial. However, her beauty shot, as portrayed by Paulina, came off as her looking "stupid".

Anya was called first (for the fifth time) for her personality in her commercial, leaving Fatima and Whitney in the bottom two, both for the fourth time. Tyra was still not clear who Whitney actually was and whether she was not as beautiful as she seemed to be and act. They also criticized Fatima for being stubborn and uninspiring in photo shoots. Whitney moved on and Fatima was eliminated.

Nigel shot the final two's Seventeen magazine cover for the July edition, where they both did a good job.

The two finalists then competed in a Italian fashion runway show. Anya and Whitney competed against each other in Versace gowns, with their outfits handpicked by the designer herself, Donatella Versace. During the final deliberation, Whitney was told she did a very good job except that she forgot to pose long enough at the end of the runway. Anya was told she didn't walk as strongly compared to Whitney's confident strut, but she still looked stunning. The judges then examined both Anya and Whitney's body of work. The judges felt that Anya's photos were edgy, high fashion, and makes the clothes appear worth buying while Whitney's were warm, approachable, and attractive to men.

The girls were called back in, and Tyra announced Whitney the tenth winner of America's Next Top Model.

Ashley Olsen

Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American actress, producer, executive producer, fashion designer and fashion model. She has had a successful acting career beginning at a very young age, in roles with her twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen.

Ashley Olsen began her career at the age of nine months, when she and her sister Mary-Kate were hired to share the role of Michelle Tanner on the popular television series Full House in 1987. To comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors, Ashley and Mary-Kate took turns during taping of the show. Both girls were credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen" in an attempt to deter audiences from coming to the realization that the girls were in fact twins playing the role of Michelle Tanner.

Following Full House, Ashley released a string of successful straight-to-video movies and became a popular figure in the preteen market during the late '90s and early 2000s. Her name became a cottage industry, with her likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters. There were even fashion dolls of her made by Mattel from 2000-2005.

She starred in the video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, the ABC show Two of a Kind, and ABC Family's So Little Time. They were ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars.

In 2004, Ashley appeared alongside her twin sister in the theatrical light-hearted romantic comedy, New York Minute, also starring Eugene Levy.

Both Mary-Kate and Ashley work on their fashion line called Elizabeth and James, which is named after their brother and sister.

In 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley released a book titled "Influence", which contained interviews with many creative and influential people including Karl Lagerfeld, Terry Richardson, Diane von Furstenberg and many more. The book received positive reviews not only by critics but also by fans of the twins.

In 2004, both Ashley and Mary-Kate became CEO of their company Dualstar (created in 1993 following the success on Full House), the brand currently selling in over 3,000 stores in America and 5,300 stores world-wide. Their success has been marked on Forbes The Celebrity 100 list since 2002, and in 2007 Forbes ranked the twins as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of $100 million.

Following a high volume of public interest in their fashion choices, both work in collaboration on a string of fashion lines available to the public.

Starting as young girls, they have a clothing line in Wal-Mart stores across America for girls ages 4-14 as well as a beauty line called "Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real fashion for real girls". In 2004 they made news by signing a pledge to allow all the workers that sew their line of clothing in Bangladesh full maternity leave. The National Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, later praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights. The director of the organization, Charles Kernaghan, is quoted as saying, "The Olsen twins have done the right thing. Now it is up to Wal-Mart to either support Mary-Kate and Ashley’s commitment to women’s rights, or tragically to shut them down." However their collaboration with Wal-Mart tarnished their fashionable reputations amongst the fashion industry until they were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006, in an attempt to gain credibility in the fashion industry after their association with Wal-Mart.

In a more matured fashion project, Ashley and her sister have released The Row, a high-end fashion line inspired by London's Savile Row, the line a direct reflection of their own popular personal style. The line features shirts and tank tops selling for hundreds of dollars each. The clothing is sold at high-end retailers such as Barneys, Maxfield, Harvey Nichols, Brown's, and others around the world.

Ashley and Mary-Kate continued their expansion in the fashion industry with the Fall '07 launch of Elizabeth & James, their contemporary collection inspired by many of their unique vintage finds and pieces in their personal wardrobes.

Though her fashion choices have become somewhat popular, Olsen has not been without criticism for her wearing and promotion of fur. In 2006, she was included on PETA's 2006 Worst Dressed list for wearing fur and is often a target of their anti-fur campaigning.

Seeking to establish independent identities for herself and her twin sister, Ashley has asked the public and the media to refer to them not as "the Olsen twins" but as Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen.

Lauren Benoit

Lauren Benoit born and raised in Miami, Florida is an American fashion model. She started modeling at the age of 5. Lauren has walked for Badgley Mischka ,Carmen Marc Valvo, Shay Todd, and has walked alongside Supermodels May Andersen and Marisa Miller for sexy swimsuit designer Rosa Cha. She is represented by Ford Models in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago. She has worked with clients such as Target, Kohl's, Macy's.She was a lead role in country music star Travis Tritt "The Girls Gone Wild" music video.

Lauren did a segment on Youtube.com/Fordmodels and has been the #1 downloaded video for People & Blogs since its debut. The New York Post also noted this in the chill factor on June 11, 2007 as the top 5 Most Downloaded Videos following Paris Hilton back to jail video.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses, best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner on the sitcom Full House. Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. They are fraternal twins but prefer the term individual pair.

The girls were born in 1986 in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Fuller (b. 1954).

In 1987, the twins started their acting careers on the television series Full House. They were hired at the age of six months and filming began when they were nine months old. The show was widely popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Both sisters played the same character, Michelle Tanner, taking turns during the tapings to do so, in order to comply with strict child labor laws regarding child actors. For the first year, Ashley would cry when she was brought on set to do a scene, so Mary-Kate had more screen time in the first season.

Because the producers did not want viewers to know that Michelle was played by twins, the sisters were originally credited as "Mary Kate Ashley Olsen", but in the last season and most of season one, they were credited as separate people. During the eight year run, Mary-Kate and Ashley made several direct-to-video movies, in addition to Full House, such as To Grandmother's House We Go (1992).

Shortly after the end of Full House, they began heavily merchandising their image. They established a company called Dualstar in 1993 and their brand has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in America and over 5,300 stores worldwide. Because of this, they have been on the Forbes' "The Celebrity 100 list" since 2002, and in 2007, Forbes ranked them, collectively, as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of $100 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley were popular figures in the preteen market during the late '90s and early 2000s. Their names became a cottage industry, with their likeness seen in clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters. There were even Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls made by Mattel from 2000 – 2005.

They starred in the video series The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley and You're Invited To Mary-Kate and Ashley's..., the ABC show Two of a Kind, and ABC Family's So Little Time. However, So Little Time was panned by critics and disappointed fans. Despite this, they were ranked number three on the VH1 program 100 Greatest Child Stars. They also appear in a few direct-to-video movies about twins visiting places in Europe; Passport to Paris, Winning London, and When in Rome.

In 2004, The Olsen Twins dual-hosted Saturday Night Live and they missed their prom because of it.

Their most recent theatrical venture was in the light-hearted romantic comedy, New York Minute, also starring Eugene Levy. The film was expected to launch the girls into more serious adult roles, but was a box office flop.

Mary-Kate's first acting appearance without Ashley was in the movie Factory Girl, released in December 2006. Mary-Kate was originally in several scenes, but only appeared in the background in the finished film. Mary-Kate has also a recurring guest role in the third season of the Showtime series Weeds., and she is also in the 2008 independent film The Wackness starring Ben Kingsley, with whom she shares a passionate kiss.

Ashley is also appearing alone in the 2008 film "The Informers" starring Billy Bob Thornton.

As the sisters have matured, there has been greater interest in their fashion choices, with the New York Times declaring Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering her signature (and now popular among celebrities and fans alike) "homeless" look. The style, sometimes referred to as "ashcan" or "Boho-chic" or bohemian-bourgeois,, is similar to that of Bohemian chic popularised in Britain by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The look consists of oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts all with an aesthetic of mixing high end pieces with low end. Their fashion choices, however, haven't been without controversy. Ashley Olsen was included on PETA's 2006 Worst Dressed list for wearing fur.

They were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006, in an attempt to gain credibility in the fashion industry after their association with Wal-Mart. They have also launched their own new couture fashion label "The Row" named after the famous Savile Row of London. The pair have also started a new line for The Row, entitled "Elizabeth & James", named after their siblings.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have been criticized by animal rights group PETA for their use of fur in their fashion line, The Row. PETA's youth group, PETA2, set up a website in December 2007 in which they refer to them as the Trollson Twins, Hairy-Kate and Trashley.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have an older brother, Trent, and younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as two half-siblings, Taylor (b. 1996), and Jake (b. 1997). The twins' parents divorced in 1995. Taylor and Jake are the children from their father's second marriage, to Martha Mackenzie-Olsen.

Mary-Kate and Ashley announced in 2004 that they would be attending college at New York University after graduating high school. In 2005, Mary-Kate moved back to California. She decided to stay on the West Coast and pursue more individualized work with their company, Dualstar. Ashley, still in New York, remains in close contact with her sister.

Mary-Kate Olsen enjoys the sport of rowing in her spare time, and is a coxswain at the Los Angeles Rowing Club.